Open motor vehicles, in the form of convertibles, speedsters, etc., are enjoying increasing popularity. In this connection, the motor vehicles are increasingly being used not only as pure "fair weather" vehicles during the warm seasons, but must also be suitable for all conditions of weather, in order to be able to exist as an acceptable alternative in relation to conventional sedans vehicles or coupes.
This means, on the one hand, that stable folding top systems which are resistant to all conditions of weather, particularly snow and ice during the winter, and which can be quickly and easily opened and subsequently closed again at any time, such as during any warm solar irradiation, during any season of the year, are necessary.
Because of the requirement for the everyday use of such types of motor vehicles, increased demands are additionally being placed on the possibility of the useful load in order to also be able to accommodate larger quantities of baggage and purchases for the home and household.
A conventional motor vehicle folding top system has a foldable folding top in which a rear window is positioned, whereby the durable folding top is attached to an articulation element which has support rods which are supported in an articulated manner, and which are connected with several transverse support units extending in the transverse direction of the motor vehicle and serving for the tightening of the folding top, whereby a folding top casing, in which the opened and folded folding top can be accommodated, is provided. A folding top flap which incompletely covers the folding top casing, both in the opened as well as in the closed position of the folding top, is provided for the at least partial covering of the folding top.
If a folding flap is provided, it is disadvantageous in the motor vehicle folding top systems in accordance with the state of the art that, if they have a folding top flap, the folded folding top is displaced far into the trunk area and is folded together in a correspondingly small manner which, on the one hand, considerably restricts the volume of the trunk and, on the other hand, renders the possibility of a rigid glass rear window, with the supplemental elements such as rear window heating, antenna wires, etc., positioned correspondingly within it, which is conventional with closed motor vehicles, impossible.
Still more unfavorable motor vehicle folding top systems, even in some very high-value vehicles, do not afford any complete lowering of the motor vehicle folding top, and the foldable folding top is, in the folded condition, not completely stowed away and still projects out from the vehicle. Strong aesthetic disadvantages are then also associated with these aerodynamic disadvantages.